Comments on: Pendulum Lab, Reprise http://samjshah.com/2009/02/24/pendulum-lab-reprise/ Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:46:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: samjshah http://samjshah.com/2009/02/24/pendulum-lab-reprise/#comment-819 samjshah Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:39:46 +0000 http://samjshah.com/?p=1156#comment-819 @mjs: Oooh! I'm totally doing that next year... Come up with a linear model and a quadratic model for a T vs. L and have them in small groups discuss which is best. Then we do the long pendulum experiment and see if they change their minds or not. Then we follow up with the more analytical discussion of modeling, interpolation/extrapolation, error, etc. What's great is that I totally THOUGHT of doing the super long pendulum one morning last week when I was showering (where all my good ideas come from), and then I promptly forgot it by the time I got to school (because I'm so tired at mornings). Thanks. Next year I'm totally doing this linear vs. quadratic to talk about various models, and your fun follow up. With a prize. I might do the fun follow up anyway, maybe the day before spring break. @mjs: Oooh! I’m totally doing that next year… Come up with a linear model and a quadratic model for a T vs. L and have them in small groups discuss which is best. Then we do the long pendulum experiment and see if they change their minds or not. Then we follow up with the more analytical discussion of modeling, interpolation/extrapolation, error, etc.

What’s great is that I totally THOUGHT of doing the super long pendulum one morning last week when I was showering (where all my good ideas come from), and then I promptly forgot it by the time I got to school (because I’m so tired at mornings).

Thanks. Next year I’m totally doing this linear vs. quadratic to talk about various models, and your fun follow up. With a prize. I might do the fun follow up anyway, maybe the day before spring break.

]]> By: mjs http://samjshah.com/2009/02/24/pendulum-lab-reprise/#comment-818 mjs Tue, 24 Feb 2009 22:33:42 +0000 http://samjshah.com/?p=1156#comment-818 I do something like this in physics, but have them plot T vs. L and then once they have a guess about the relationship, graph the same data as T^2 vs. L.... with decent data, the linear fit line is quite good, and the coefficient matches well with (4pi^2)/g. Fun follow-up: take kids' experimentally derived eqn's and have them use that eqn to predict the T of a really long pendulum (like 8 or 10 m). Then, go to your nearest stairwell or balcony and test it! Make it a contest. Finish off with a hearty error analysis discussion. I do something like this in physics, but have them plot T vs. L and then once they have a guess about the relationship, graph the same data as T^2 vs. L…. with decent data, the linear fit line is quite good, and the coefficient matches well with (4pi^2)/g.
Fun follow-up: take kids’ experimentally derived eqn’s and have them use that eqn to predict the T of a really long pendulum (like 8 or 10 m). Then, go to your nearest stairwell or balcony and test it! Make it a contest. Finish off with a hearty error analysis discussion.

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